U.S. Durable Goods Orders Edge Higher in June — Evening Brief – 07.27.26

U.S. orders for durable manufactured goods increased modestly in June, as gains in technology-related equipment helped offset softer transportation demand, suggesting manufacturing activity remained on stable footing despite falling short of economists’ expectations.

New orders for durable goods rose 0.3% month over month to $334.8 billion in June, according to data released Monday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The increase missed economists’ consensus estimate of 1.7% but marked a rebound from May’s revised 4.0% decline, previously reported as a 4.5% decrease.

Excluding the often-volatile transportation sector, new orders increased 0.6% during the month. While below the 1.0% consensus forecast, the gain followed a revised 1.8% increase in May, indicating underlying manufacturing demand remained relatively firm.

The headline measure has now increased in three of the past four months, pointing to continued business investment despite elevated interest rates and persistent uncertainty surrounding global trade and tariffs.

The strongest contributor in June was the computers and electronic products category, where orders rose 3.1% to $31.1 billion. The sector has now posted gains in nine of the past 10 months, underscoring sustained demand for technology infrastructure and electronic equipment.

Orders excluding defense also rose 0.3%, reversing a revised 4.3% decline in May.

Production activity continued to improve. Durable goods shipments increased 0.7% to $330.7 billion, following a 1.1% gain the previous month. Excluding transportation equipment, shipments advanced 1.0%, extending May’s 0.9% increase.